


Love and Hate in Equal Measure

by Estel



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Episode: s01e22 Beginning of the End, Gen, Spoilers, cathartic fic writing, internal rant, pro Grant Ward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 00:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1621919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estel/pseuds/Estel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>FINALE SPOILERS. Grant Ward thinks on John Garrett, the man who saved and condemned him at the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and Hate in Equal Measure

**Author's Note:**

> I just needed to write something.
> 
> Please don't post Ward hate in the comments.

John Garrett was not a good man.

Grant Ward had no illusions about that. So many people in the world did, but since the day they met, at least a portion of Ward hated Garrett.

To be truthful, a portion of Grant Ward hated everyone at least a little, but Garrett was a special case. He filled the same place as Ward’s parents. He occupied a space next to his brother that loved seeing people suffer, especially the playthings left to him by their parents. He even surpassed all the people Ward grew to hate while infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D..

The man he was most loyal to in the whole world taught him on the first day to hold that hate close. To _use it_. So, he always hated John Garrett.

But somehow that hatred didn’t overcome the horrible sinking feeling in his gut when he saw them haul off Garrett in a metal casket.

When no one else looked after him, Garrett saw that Ward at least had a fighting chance. Not only that, he taught him to fight for that chance. He taught him a lot, or at least gave him means and opportunity to learn when the world had long-ago written him off.

Grant Ward the fuck up. Grant Ward the killer. Grant Ward the monster. A perfect summary of his life, except with Garrett.

And Coulson’s team.

He couldn’t consider that. Not at a time like this. Garrett was dead.

Garrett went _crazy_ and now was dead. Was there someone to blame? Not really. Maybe Raina? She had been the one who had devised the juice that melted Garrett’s brain. She had confided in him that she wasn’t sure about their fearless leader. Perhaps she’d done something to him?

He could blame Mike. The unwilling participant in their ragtag unit. Even Ward couldn’t find the heart to blame him.

Was it HYDRA? The one group Garrett seemed to think could save him couldn’t muster enough scientific might to save a dying man so Garrett resorted to the most extreme measures. Why hadn’t he turned out like Coulson or Skye after taking the miracle drug?

Right, because they were exceptions.

At least he had something left. Coulson’s team didn’t know what he knew about Skye or Raina. Would he tell them? Would it help? Or would they be the people Garrett told him they were? Did it even matter?

He had a long time to think it all over.

Coulson’s condemnation of him was almost cathartic in its way, but overpowered by seeing Garrett dead. He’d only caught a glimpse of his mutilated face before they hauled him off.

This man he hated and loved in equal measure, the entity lording over his every move since he was a kid, was dead.

At least it was over.


End file.
